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The Six Yogas of Naropa Aspen Retreat Oct 8 – 10 2021
October 8, 2021 @ 4:00 pm - October 10, 2021 @ 1:00 pm
The Six Yogas of Naropa Aspen Retreat
with Michael Gregory and Ian Baker
October 8 - 10, 2021
and Special Saturday Night Event and Talk on the
Dalai Lama’s Secret Temple (The Lukhang) and Fundraiser.
Join renowned author and scholar Dr. Ian Baker and former monk and beloved Buddhist teacher Lama Michael Gregory, for this unique opportunity to study and practice the Six Yogas of Naropa, a collection of enlightenment practices from several Tibetan tantras.
This retreat is an in the depth of invitation into the heart of Tibetan Buddhist meditation and rare and precious introduction to these yogic enlightenment practices.
The Six Yogas of Naropa (also called Six Dharmas of Naropa) are a comprehensive compilation of advanced practices of Tibetan Tantrayana Buddhism intended to lead to Buddhahood in an accelerated manner. Meanwhile, the teachings are grounded in the deep understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of Tantra, leading to a deeper sense of freedom and ones true inner nature.
This retreat will also offer a rare glimpse into the Dalai Lama’s secret temple and yogic practices of Tsalung Trulkhor. Before engaging in the actual practices of the Six Dharmas, one begins by doing the "six exercises of Naropa,” known as Trülkhor Yoga - foundational introduction to these practices will be offered during the retreat.
The Saturday evening talk will travel from The Library and fundraiser for building the Dalai Lama’s Secret Temple in Southern California. This talk will continue in The Great Room of the Caribou Club a few blocks away.
Sources of this collection of tantric practices are amongst others the Guhyasamaja Tantra, the Hevajra Tantra and the Chakrasamvara Tantra, which go back all the way to Buddha Shakyamuni. The Indian Mahasiddha Naropa, a student of Tilopa, put the practices into a systematically documented form and passed the Six Yogas on to his student Marpa, who then passed them on to his own student, the renowned Tibetan yogi Milarepa.
The Six Yogas work with the subtle body, particularly through the generation of the Tummo-Inner Fire, and form the basis of the inner yoga practices of Mahamudra.
The Six Yogas of Naropa are:
- - Tummo: The Yoga of Inner Fire
- - Gyulü: The Yoga of the Illusory Body
- - Ösel: The Yoga of Clear Light
- - Milam: The Yoga of the Dream State
- - Bardo: The Yoga of the Intermediate State
- - Phowa: The Yoga of the Transference of Consciousness at the time of death
We will also be exploring karma - mudra, sometimes unfortunately thought of as sexual yoga, as a path to awakening.
The teachings of Tilopa (988-1069 CE) are the earliest known work on the six dharmas. Tilopa is said to have received the teachings directly from Chakrasamvhara. Nāropa learned the techniques from Tilopa. Nāropa's student Marpa taught the Tibetan Milarepa, renowned for his yogic skills. Milarepa in turn taught Gampopa. Gampopa's student, Düsum Khyenpa, The 1st Karmapa, attained enlightenment while practicing the six dharmas.
This retreat will serve as an introduction to those interested in these transformative practices, and a gateway to further practices later on.
Helpful (but not necessary) reading before the retreat: Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, and The Dalai Lama's Secret Temple: Tantric Wall Paintings from Tibet, by Dr. Baker and Thomas Laird.
WHERE / WHEN:
The Aspen Six Yogas of Naropa Retreat and Public Talk will be held at the
Pitkin County Library, 120 North Mill, beginning
Friday, October 8th 4PM - 10PM
Saturday, October 9th 7AM - 5:30PM
and concluding Sunday, October 10th 7AM - 1PM
The Saturday evening talk will travel from The Library and fundraiser will continue in The Great Room of the Caribou Club a few blocks away.
Register for the weekend retreat:
Event and registration page for October 9th Aspen talk and fundraiser at the Caribou Club:
Contact retreat coordinators Jenny or Troy at:
Dr. Ian Baker – Biography
Ian Baker, PhD is a Himalayan Buddhist scholar and practitioner and the author of seven books on Tibetan art, culture, and contemplative practice including Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, The Dalai Lama's Secret Temple: Tantric Wall Paintings from Tibet, The Tibetan Art of Healing, and The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet’s Lost Paradise. He was recognised by National Geographic Society as one of seven 'Explorers for the Millennium' for his fieldwork in Tibet's Tsangpo Gorge and Beyul Pemakö, the ‘Hidden-Land Arrayed like a Lotus’. He holds advanced degrees in Literature, Anthropology, and History, and undertook prolonged meditation retreats in Himalayan caves under the guidance of some of the greatest luminaries of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He was lead curator for the 2015-16 London exhibition, ‘Tibet’s Secret Temple: Body, Mind and Meditation in Tantric Buddhism’, and is an advisor to the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan in regard to the interface of science, art, and Vajrayāna Buddhism.
Michael Gregory Biography
Lama Michael is a former Buddhist Monk, Teacher and Executive Director of Mindfulness Meditation Centers. Michael has shared that there can never be enough gratitude to repay the debt of kindness that others have shown [him], in particular the XIV Dalai Lama, the XVII Karmapa--Orgyen Trinley Dorje, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Bokar Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche, HH Dodrupchen Rinpoche and Penor Rinpoche who have offered the empowerment cycles of Rinchen Terzo and Dam Ngak Dzod.
For more than twenty-five years Lama Michael has joyfully instructed a continuous stream of educated and experienced practitioners of all levels and backgrounds in Thailand, India, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States. He has led hundreds of meditation retreats on almost every subject matter related to Buddhism, in addition to leading meditative pilgrimages throughout Thailand, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and India. Michael currently directs the practicing and teaching schedule at Mindfulness Meditation Centers and is the Three Year Retreat Master for our current retreat in Southern California. Lama Michael leads a vibrant local and international online and in person community of practitioners.
“Retreat Registration: The Six Yogas of Naropa, Aspen CO, Oct 8-10 2021”
If you are unable to donate the suggested amount, please do not let that keep you from attending; contact us to make arrangements.